Glow plug and method for producing a glow plug

ABSTRACT

A glow plug is described, having a body, a glow pin which protrudes from a first end of the body, and an inner pole which protrudes from a second end of the body and is electrically connected to the glow pin. A section of the inner pole that protrudes out of the body has an embossed structure for improving the mechanical and electrical connection to a plug connector. A method for producing a glow plug is also disclosed.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to DE 10 2016 108 592.8, filed May 10,2016, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a glow plug like the type disclosed inGB 960 068 and DE 10 041 282 A1.

The section of the inner pole that protrudes out of the body of a glowplug is intended to be connected to a plug connection or a screwconnection for the purpose of electrical contacting.

The inner pole of the glow plug can be designed as a single part or astwo parts with an inner pole extension. The standard two-piece designconsists of a pole feed conductor on the glow-pin side and an inner poleextension on the connector side. During the production process the innerpole extension is normally welded to the end of the pole feed conductorof a pre-assembled glow pin. To provide better handling in the assemblyprocess, the inner pole extension can consist of a plain round rod thatis welded onto the pole feed conductor. If a connector plug is nowdirectly crimped onto this rod, the possible parameters for extractionand twisting are limited. The presence of an oxide layer on the rod canalso lead to increased contact resistances between the plug connectorand the inner pole extension. In order to improve the mechanical andelectrical connection it is known to cut a knurling into theconnector-side end of the inner pole, or inner pole extension. As aresult of the knurling of the outer surface, any oxide layers formed onthe surface are broken up and during the crimping operation a mechanicalmeshing is obtained between the connector sleeve and the inner pole, orinner pole extension. The result is a significant improvement in theextraction and rotation parameters and in the electrical contact.However, cutting a knurling is a time-consuming process.

SUMMARY

This disclosure teaches a method by which a glow plug, the inner pole ofwhich facilitates a mechanically robust and sound electrical connectionto a plug connection, can be produced in a less time-consuming manner.

According to this disclosure, a structure for improving the mechanicaland electrical connection to a plug connector is embossed into a sectionof the inner pole which protrudes from the body. The embossed structurecan have, for example, grooves or elevations, in particular grooves thatextend longitudinally, transversely or at an angle to the glow plugaxis. Embossing allows, for example, a knurled structure or a pimpledstructure to be produced cost-effectively. In addition, any oxide layerpresent is broken up during the embossing, therefore also enabling agood electrical contact to be produced.

To emboss the structure, two opposite facing stamps may be used, whichare pressed against the inner pole. The end face of these stampscomprises elevations and/or depressions for embossing the desiredstructure. The end face can be suitably rounded or flat to fit the glowpin. One advantageous embodiment of this disclosure provides that theend face of at least one of the two stamps is flat. Both stampspreferably have a flat end face. A flat end face has the advantage thata structure can be engraved even with relatively light pressure. For agood electrical and mechanical connection, it is not absolutelynecessary that the embossed structure is stamped all over. It issufficient if the embossed structure is engraved in some sections of thecircumference of the inner pole.

In order to engrave the structure into a larger proportion of thecircumference of the inner pole using two stamps that have a flat endface, after a first embossing step the two stamps can be offset in thecircumferential direction and pressed against the inner pole once again,so that a second embossing step takes place. If two embossing steps areintended, then the stamps are preferably offset in the circumferentialdirection by 90°. Three or more embossing steps can also be carried out,however. In that case the two stamps are preferably offset by 60° in thecircumferential direction, or by a correspondingly smaller angle in thecircumferential direction.

In the simplest case, parallel grooves are provided on the end face ofthe stamps, which have edges at an angle of 50° to 70°. Anotherpossibility is to arrange a plurality of grooves at an angle to eachother, for example to create a diamond-shaped or knurled structure.

The stamps can be fastened, for example, to the gripping surface of agripper that performs the embossing with a correspondingly higherclamping force. The structure for improving a mechanical and electricalconnection to a plug connector can be engraved on an inner poleextension, which is only welded to another inner pole section after theembossing of the structure has taken place. It is also possible,however, to use a single-part inner pole and to engrave the structureinto this. The structure can be produced before or after the assembly ofthe glow pin in the body of the plug.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned aspects of exemplary embodiments will become moreapparent and will be better understood by reference to the followingdescription of the embodiments taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a glow plug according to this disclosureand an embossing tool.

DESCRIPTION

The embodiments described below are not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the followingdetailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and describedso that others skilled in the art may appreciate and understand theprinciples and practices of this disclosure.

The glow plug 1 comprises a body 2, which may have a thread 3 forscrewing the glow plug into an engine and a glow pin 4 which protrudesfrom a first end of the body 2. The glow pin 4 may be a ceramic glow pinor a glow pin comprising a metallic shell and a heating resistor, e.g.,a coil 5.

The glow pin 4 is electrically connected to an inner pole 6 whichprotrudes from a second end of the body 2. An end section of the innerpole 6 that protrudes from the body 2 comprises an embossed structure 8for improving the mechanical and electrical connection to a plugconnector. The embossed structure may comprise grooves 9 or elevations,e.g., studs or pimples.

The structure 8 is created in the end section of the inner pole 6 byembossing. The embossing process is performed by an embossing tool,e.g., to opposite facing stamps 10 that are pressed by a gripper 11against the end section of the inner pol 6 in order to emboss thestructure 8. The stamps 10 each have a surface 12 configured forembossing grooves 9 or elevations. To this end, the surface 12 may haveridges or other elevations like studs, for example.

The surface 12 of the stamps 10 may be concave to match the generallycylindrical surface of the end section of the inner pole 6 or it may beflat. If the surface 12 is flat, the inner pole 6 and the glow plug maybe rotated by, e.g., a quarter turn after a first embossing step. Then asecond embossing step can emboss the structure 8 on a different part ofthe surface of the inner pole 6.

The embossing process can be performed after the glow plug is assembled.It is also possible to perform the embossing process on the inner pole 6before the glow plug 2 is assembled or to perform the embossing processon a part of the inner pole 6 and to then connect this part, e.g., bywelding, to a different part of the inner pole 6.

While exemplary embodiments have been disclosed hereinabove, the presentinvention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Instead, thisapplication is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations ofthis disclosure using its general principles. Further, this applicationis intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as comewithin known or customary practice in the art to which this inventionpertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A glow plug, comprising: a body; a glow pinprotruding from a first end of the body; and an inner pole protrudingfrom a second end of the body and electrically connected to the glowpin; wherein a section of the inner pole that protrudes from the bodycomprises an embossed structure configured to improve the mechanical andelectrical connection to a plug connector.
 2. The glow plug according toclaim 1, wherein the embossed structure comprises grooves or elevations.3. A method for producing a glow plug, comprising: connecting a glow pinto an inner pole; arranging the glow pin and the inner pole in a bodysuch that the glow pin protrudes from a first end of the body and theinner pole protrudes from a second end of the body; and embossing astructure into a section of the inner pole which protrudes from the bodyin the finished glow plug.
 4. The method according to claim 3, whereinthe structure is embossed by two opposite facing stamps that are pressedagainst the inner pole.
 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein thestamps comprise a surface configured for embossing grooves orelevations.
 6. The method according to claim 4, wherein at least one ofthe two stamps has a flat end face having elevations and/or indentationsfor embossing the structure.
 7. The method according to claim 6, whereinafter a first embossing step, the two stamps are pressed against theinner pole again after being offset in the circumferential direction,and a second embossing step is then performed.
 8. The method accordingto claim 4, wherein the stamps are fixed to the gripping surface of agripper.
 9. The method according to claim 3, wherein the structure isembossed into a section of the inner pole which is welded onto a furtherinner pole section after the structure has been embossed.